The Next Eggplant
by Wia S
Summary: Sanji couldn't help but see the irony in it all. History repeats in the strangest ways. SanjiXOC All Blue friendship T for language First of Oneshot series


**A/N: Another One Piece Oneshot. Sanji centered this time**

_Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, sorry. If I did, Chopper's bounty would be like....really high...._

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Sanji couldn't help but think of the irony of it all. Here he was, sitting on a rocky stone in the middle of the ocean, a large sack filled gold he had managed to salvage from the marine ship the Straw Hat crew had engaged and about 3 dozen packs of cigarettes he had taken for himself and now only one eye and leg.

He could live without both eyes, because most of the time, the one missing was covered, and now he could wear a super awesome eye patch that he was sure would make Robin-chan and Nami-san fall in love with him and his "mysteriousness". It was the leg that was a pain. Hopefully, when his nakama finally got off their asses and rescued them, Robin and Chopper could combine their abilities and attach it back on, or he would have to endure the marimo's comments on how he would have been able to get out of the situation with both legs and eyes for the rest of his life.

Across the rock sat a young boy, the young, foolish boy who tried to defend the ship with a pair of cooking knives and proclaimed his dream to find All Blue. The irony in this all was that Sanji had been in the situation before, so many years ago, but now, the roles were reversed, and slight variations were added.

_The shitty geezer would get a kick out of this. _He thought to himself as he slowly inhaled his smoke before letting it out.

It had been almost 30 days, and thankfully, as it was the Grand Line, it had rained every few days, and he was never short on water. But he was hungry; hungry enough to even eat his Captain's cooking, and believe he was once again dining at the Baratie.

His keen ears picked up the soft foot falls of a small child, and he grinned around his cigarette. He had been wondering when he would come and try to kill him for his own "food".

_History really does repeat itself._

He had let the boy sneak up on him, because even though the boy probably thought differently, he could still take the eggplant down with no legs, and only one arm.

He waited until the boy lifted the large rock above his head, probably with the intent to smash his head in, before balancing himself on one of his arms, and swinging his remaining leg around, knocking the poor boy off his feet, before gracefully landing back into his lounging position.

"You're a thousand years too young to try and kill me, shitty little eggplant, even with only one of my legs and eyes." He casually commented, taking out his stub of remaining tobacco and flicking it out into the sea below.

The boy glared up at him, and then at the heavy rock that played a part in his downfall. He grumpily stood up, and clenched his fists at his side.

"Listen old geezer! I'm not going to die here! I have to find All Blue, and I don't care if some piss off cook like you doesn't believe me, but I'm taking your food! I'm not going to let some no good pirate live while I die!" He stated, glaring fiercely at the blond man.

Sanji hid a grin, and leaned back on his forearms. Was he really like this boy when he was trapped with Zeff?

"Go ahead kid. Take my portion. Don't think it'll fit your taste." He said, gesturing his head toward the bulging pack.

Glaring at him once more, trying to tell if he was telling the truth, or using a sneaky, piratey ploy to get him to turn his back and then kill him, the boy hesitantly made his way to the sack, and once he was sure he was free, pounced on it like a starving beast, which, technically, he was.

Once again, the Straw Hat crew cook had to hide a smile as he heard the kids cry of despair as the gold and cigarette's fell out, not an ounce of food in the mix.

For a second all was silent, before the boy finally broke it.

"Why?" He asked in a whisper.

"Why what?" Sanji replied, lighting up another one of his tobacco sticks.

"Why did you give me all the food?! What kind of pirate does that?!"

"A pirate who has gone through this process before, that's who."

The boy once again fell silent, but Sanji could tell he was biting to find out the full story.

"Come here and sit down, you shitty little eggplant or you'll lose what's left of your strength." He calmly said, and gestured to the spot beside him.

The boy did as asked and let himself fall beside the older man. Once again, there was silence, before the boy broke it a bit later.

"What happened to your leg? And your eye? I know that when you attacked the ship, you had both." He asked hesitantly, as if unsure if he should be talking at all.

"Okay, first off, it was your shitty ship that attacked us. We just made best of the situation. Second, I lost my eye when your dear captain, or first mate, or whoever the hell that fucking bastard with the Mohawk tried to imitate the idiot marimo and fight with more than one sword, sliced at my head. Cut off a good section of my hair, and took my eye with it. As for the leg, well, that's your fault, shitty little eggplant. If you hadn't been so noble, and tried to defend your useless ship, you wouldn't have declared to the entire world you dream to find All Blue, been washed over the ship, and my stupid self would have never felt the need to jump in after you, get my leg caught in some wreckage, have to amputate it with a large chain, and save your sorry ass, and right now, I would be with my nakama, probably enjoying a nice dinner. Does that answer your questions?" He stated in an even tone, as if he was discussing the weather with an acquaintance.

Throughout his entire statement, the boys eyes grew wider, and his mouth gapped like a fish. He jumped up from where he was sitting, and backed away from him, finally noticing the tightly wrapped suit jacket by his side that smelled fairly bad.

"I never asked you to save me! You shouldn't have done that! You should have let me die! Now both of us are going to die here! You could have saved both of your legs and your life if you had just let me drown that night! Now we are both going through this torture before death!" He cried, his eyes watering slightly at the thought of it all.

Sanji chuckled.

"You really think we're going to die? Well, tough luck kid. We aren't. Life isn't that kind." He said, amused at the kids reaction to his story.

"How can you be so calm?!"

"Because, I know that I won't die until I complete my dream. Until then, I will survive everything thrown at me, to the bitter end. Until I make my captain the Pirate King, and in the process, find All Blue, I won't die. And I'm sorry to say that since you've cost me my leg, I'm not going to let your die either. You owe me, you know." He said with a smirk, happily inhaling his tobacco.

Once again, the boys eyes widened and his mouth gapped. It was honestly getting annoying, and Sanji knew he would have to break him of that habit.

"D-did you just say you would find All Blue?" He asked in awe.

"Dame straight I did. I know it's real, and I intend to prove it. The best way to find it is to sail with the next Pirate King, and that is exactly what I'm doing. Speaking of which, he and the rest of my nakama should be here soon, so keep an eye on the horizon, will ya?" He said, and gestured to the sea beyond them.

The boy simply nodded, and sat back down. He gazed blindly out into space, and Sanji took the time to survey him. He was small, probably around 8 or 9, with chocolate brown hair that hung limply around his boney face. His eyes were a hazel yellow, and Sanji knew from his first experience fending the kid off on the marine ship, that they held a hidden spark that set them aglow. The kid had great potential ahead of him, not only as a cook, but as a great pirate as well. Too bad he was trying to waste that working on a Marine's ship.

"I'll do it." He suddenly said, the same spark returning to his eyes.

"Do what, shitty little eggplant?" Sanji casually asked, though he had a feeling he already knew what it was.

"I'm going to live on, and I'm going to pay my debt to you someday! I'll join your captain's crew, and help you find All Blue!" He said, his face set in determination.

"Oh? And who said I need the help of a tiny fish like you, huh? Plus, I don't need a wannabe cook messing up my kitchen! Nice try kid." He said back, smirking as this child's face grew angry.

"I'M NOT TINY! AND I WILL FIND ALL BLUE, WITH OR WITHOUT YOU! AND, I'LL BECOME AN EVEN BETTER COOK THEN YOU'LL EVER BE, YOU OLD GEEZER!"

"Who're you calling old, you shitty little eggplant! I'm younger than your father!"

"Ha! You look more than a hundred years old with your stupid, over curled eyebrow, and girly hair!"

Sanji snarled, and hit the boy over his head with his fist.

"OW! What was that for?!" The boy complained, holding his head around the bump that was forming.

"Lesson one, eggplant: If you want to learn to cook, you better learn not to bring my eyebrow into this! I'm not taking you with me if you start acting like the marimo with your insults! Got it, shitty squirt?"

The boy suddenly stopped his moaning, and looked up at him with amazed eyes.

"R-really? You'll really take me with you?" He asked in awe.

Sanji grimaced as he quickly thought how long term this was going to be, but nodded his head anyway.

"Yeah, I'll take you. With the way Luffy keeps picking up crew mates, I'll need another hand in the kitchen, even if it's a shitty little wannabe cook." He said, finishing off his cigarette and throwing it into the sea, like all the others he had smoked so far.

The boy seemed too happy to take any mind to his insult, his face splitting into a large grin and his eyes glittering with excitement. Suddenly, one thought seemed to hit him.

"Wait, on a pirate ship, right?" He asked, his expression becoming guarded.

"Where else? You don't think I'd go onto a Marine ship just to please you?" He replied with an incredulous look at the mere thought of it.

A moment passed before the boy spoke up again.

"What are they like?" He asked.

"Well, why don't you ask them yourself? That's our ship right there." He said, pointing somewhere at the horizon.

True enough, a large ship with a skull and crossbones wearing a straw hat was quickly making it's was toward them.

"Oh, by the way, the name is Sanji, eggplant. I think I should know yours before I tell the captain you'll be joining us." He said as he collected the spilt gold and cigarettes and put them back in the bag.

"Yashiko. My name is Yashiko." The boy said, stunned at the sudden appearance of the ship.

"Well Yashiko, I think in all fairness I should warn you." He said in calm tone of voice, as he hefted himself up onto his remaining leg, using a boulder to his side for balance

"OIIIII!!!! SANJI!!!! COME BACK AND MAKE SOME MEAT!!!!!!!" A loud voice suddenly called, and two arms stretched out to the rock they were at, which was a good three hundred feet away from where they began.

"Our Captain is a bit of an idiot."

And with that, he grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt, and grabbed his wrapped, amputated leg and the large back with another, and let his captain's hands wrap around his middle before suddenly feeling the sensation he felt many times before of being shot through the air by a rubber slingshot, but this time, with a subordinate of his own.

_Master Zeff is really going to shit himself when he hears this story. The old geezer will never let me live it down._

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**I really enjoyed writing this one! :) I can just SEE this happening to Sanji, and what not. Plus, I think this story will make a good oneshot series.**


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